Legend of Zelda: Shadows of the Past
by Tenshi Yoma
Summary: Hundreds of years have past since the Hero of Time defeated the great evil, he is now just a legend. A young man, with blonde hair and blue eyes, is now faced with a new journey. Many secrets follow this man with a connection to the Hero. OoT Based.
1. In the Beginning

A/N: This is my first Zelda Fanfic. I've been brewing up this idea for awhile now and so far, it's coming along pretty good. Reviews would be appreciated.

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The stars in the sky sparkled against their blackened background. The night air was silent but for two whispers. A very large ancient looking tree sat in the middle of a circled enclosed area. A small shining fairy floated in front of him, her light around her glowing a soft blue. If one were to look closely they'd see the human shape to her body.

"Great Deku Tree, why have you summoned me?" The little fairy said in a meek high voice.

"Navi, I was visited by Anju and Kafei today. You know that their child is due to be born any day now." He said in his great deep voice.

"Yes, I had heard that Anju was with child. But what does this have to do with me?" She asked, growing slightly impatient.

"My dear Navi, when the couple stood before me and asked for me to bless their child with a name, much like the other Kokiri, I discovered something."

The great tree was quiet for a long moment. Navi crossed her legs as she sat mid air, her foot tapping softly.

"I felt something strange, but familiar," He said taking in a long breath, "I felt a power surging from the child. A power that we both knew very well. I named the child Kailnim."

Navi was quiet for a moment her eyes gazing at the Great Deku Tree. How was any of this important to her? Children were born all the time to the Kokiri. It was different now. Hundreds of years ago they would remain children, but times had changed since….

Her eyes widened and her body stiffened. "You mean, he's back?!" She questioned, her heart racing.

"Indeed child, he is back. We both have felt the evil that is growing slowly, I guess the Hero of Time finally decided to come back. That child needs protecting Navi, guidance. I think it only fair that I call upon you to be his fairy as he grows to adulthood." His voice rumbled softly, though he was quiet for being such a large tree.

Navi smiled her heart pounding in her chest. "I will take care of him, I swear. I cannot wait to finally talk to him again."

"My dearest Navi, you must remember, he will remember nothing of his past for many many years, if at all. Do not speak of his past child, we must let the Goddesses guide his spirit."

Navi nodded and floated forward to lay her tiny arms against the great trees body. "I will guide him the best I can. You and your father chose the best fairy there is." She said with a grin before fluttering off to the village to find her old, and new, friend.

"Go with blessings Navi…this journey shall be a long one."

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_Long ago, when the land of Hyrule was in trouble, there was a hero. The land had fallen into dark times. The king was killed, and the kingdom taken over by an evil man named Ganondorf. This man was cruel and did everything in his power to capture the power of the Triforce, the magic that was left here by the Goddesses. _

_The princess, Zelda, ran away from the castle and hid. She followed the young man who was to become the hero of time. He fought many battles with Zelda always near to help him, though he didn't know it. _

_Finally the Hero faced the evil Ganondorf, and with the help of the seven sages, he was defeated once and for all. Peace returned to the land of Hyrule. Zelda took her place as Princess over the lands and the Hero became her prince. It is said that the descendants of the Royal Family came from Zelda and the Hero. The Hero of Time, Link._

The old woman took her seat on a log near the fire with a sigh. The others of the village sat on the ground around her and the fire, listening closely to the tale that she spun.

"Was Link a Kokiri, like us?" A young brown haired girl asked.

The old woman smiled as she spoke. "Link was not a Kokiri, but the Kokiri took him in and raised him as if he was one of them. Back then our ancestors did not age, they stayed children, so everyone knew he was strange, for he aged as they did not."

A young man, roughly the age of 16 sat near the back of the group. His blue eyes gazed at the old woman, his short blonde hair spiked atop his head. "So how come we age then, if they didn't?" He asked. A small fairy sat on his shoulder, her blue light glowing around her.

"The stories say that it was a spell on the Kokiri that kept them as children and when Link awoke the Sage of the Forest, the spell was lifted. However, some say that it is simply time that has changed us, since we still age slower than the Hylians." The old woman explained as she pushed a bit of silver hair from her face.

"But, it's just a story right? Link was never real, it's just a fairy tale." The blonde haired boy said, his features bent down in frustration.

The old woman laughed softly, a twinkle in her eyes. "Some believe it is just a fairy's tale, but I, like many others, believe it is true. Link was a great and mighty hero. Some say that he will return again one day to keep Hyrule safe."

The young man raised a brow at the woman before turning his gaze away. It was all a bunch of silly stories, none of which he believed. "C'mon Navi, let's go home, I'm tired." He said to the fairy on his shoulder.

He stood up from his spot at the campfire and left the others to listen to more of the woman's tales. He walked along the path through the dark village to his own home. His parents were no doubt already asleep. He kicked at a rock on the ground as he walked.

"Can you believe that old woman, believing in fairy tales." He scoffed.

"Kailnim, they aren't fairy tales! Link was real." She said in her high pitched, yet soft, voice.

"Yea right. Navi I think sometimes you need to grow up." He said teasingly.

The fairy stuck her tongue out at him but continued to follow him as he made his way home. He quietly opened the door, closing it behind him and making his way to the room that was his own. He crawled into his bed, leaving the brown tunic and white pants on that he wore. He was too tired to change now. He gave out a yawn before laying his head on the pillow and curling his blanket up around him.

"If such a hero was real, he must have been a great guy…saving so many lives. He's so lucky to get to go on adventures like that…." He mumbled before sleep finally took him over.

Navi floated above the boy staring down at him with fondness in her eyes. "Oh Kailnim….if only you knew. Sleep tight, Hero." She whispered before floating down to lay beside his head on the pillow.

_The door slid down behind the man. He glanced back before pulling his attention back in front of him. His eyes widened and a grunt of shock escaped his lips. High above the floor floating in a crystal, was her. Her golden blonde hair streamed out around her. Her face distorted in a look of fear. _

_His eyes then fell down to the large organ, where a man sat playing on it. The sounds of the organ vibrated around the room sending a chill down his spine. He felt his hand growing warm and looked down to see the triangle, the Triforce, glowing. _

_"The Triforce parts are resonating…They are combining into one again." The large man at the organ said, his playing stopping. "The two parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago. I didn't even expect they would be hidden within you two!" He said with a great long laugh. _

_The man, wearing a long green hat and tunic stepped back a pace. His hand gripped at the hilt of his sword, ready to strike. _

_"And now, finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here!" The man said and swiftly turned around, his long blood red cape flowing with his movements. His eyes, so dark and haunting stared into the bright blue eyes of the blonde haired man before him. _

_"These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me!" He bellowed before leaping off the ground and heading towards the man with the green hat, the sword, and the fairy._

Kailnim woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in his bed. His breathing was heavy, his brow moist with sweat. He felt hot, and yet freezing at the same time.

"Kailnim! Are you alright?" Navi asked as she shot up from the pillow to hover in front of the boy.

He brought a hand up to rest against his chest as he tried to calm his breathing. "Yea, I'm fine. I had a bad dream, that's all." He said the dream already beginning to fade.

Navi looked at the boy with worry in her eyes. She fluttered forward and laid a hand on his forehead. "You feel alright, what was the dream about?"

Kailnim shook his head and pushed a bit of his hair back. "I'm not sure. There was a big man with strangely colored skin…playing and organ and yelling about something…I can't remember, it's gone now." He said with a sigh falling back onto his pillow.

Navi's eyes widened slightly but she did not say a word, only floated down to sit next to his head on the pillow. "Just a dream then. You best be getting up soon though, your parents are already up and about." She said, her eyes never leaving his face.

Kailnim nodded and rose from his bed swinging his feet over the edge. He grabbed his brown leather boots and pulled them onto his feet, tightening the leather cords and tying them. He stood up and yawned stretching out his arms. He walked over to his basin of fresh water and splashed it on his face, running a bit of it through his naturally spiked blonde hair.

Refreshed he left his room and headed out into the main room, a kitchen with a long wooden table. "Morning." He grunted as he took his seat at the table. His mother, a tall woman with long brown hair smiled as she brought a plate of eggs and set it down in front of him. "Sleep well?" She asked as she turned back to her work of cooking in the fireplace.

"Well enough." He said through a mouth full of eggs. He ate them down rather quickly and was up and out of his chair. "I'm off, back later." He said and hurried out the door, Navi quick behind him.

"Okay, bye!" His mother called out to him.

The village was alive with movement. Some of the adults were bustling about to the shop or to visit friends. Children ran about playing with one another. Kailnim walked through the village until he came to the small cliff that lay just outside the village. He climbed up the ladder laid there and pulled his body up and onto the ground above. There he came to the great hole in the side of the large mountain, it was a long darkened tree trunk. He entered and walked for a long while in shadows until finally coming out on the other side to the Lost Woods.

The light shone down in rays through the tops of the trees. It was always so cool inside the Lost Woods, so peaceful. There were long reaches of forests and a few tree tunnels here and there. One led to the great Forest Temple, a place that seemed dead to the world. Few ever went there except on the day of the Forest Festival, when everyone gathered there to give thanks to the Goddesses.

Kailnim rushed through the tunnels, knowing the way by heart. He could already hear the music playing before he even reached the entrance to the Forest Temple. It was a large glade encased by the mountains around it. The entrance to the Temple was high up, with no ladder to enter, only a large tree hung over it. Many had tried to climb up, but no one could ever really make it.

His eyes gazed across the glade until they came to rest on the girl sitting on a tree stump and playing happily on her ocarina. She stopped playing and smiled as Kailnim entered. She stood up from her spot and smoothed down her green gown. Her eyes were a deep water blue, her hair a long deep black.

"I was worried you'd sleep too long and forget about me." She said with a honey sweet voice.

Kailnim grinned and scratched at the back of his head. "I'd never do a thing like that, Saria." He said with a chuckle.

The girl smiled brightly and walked over to where he stood. "Don't you just love this place? It's like our own little secret spot. We've been coming here ever since we were kids. I think I'm going to miss it." She said as she gazed out over the glade, her blue eyes soft.

"Miss it? Why would you miss it? It's not like we're going anywhere. We'll grow old in this village, turn into a couple of old bats who spout out nonsense stories like the Old Woman." He said with a slight grimace on his face.

Saria frowned at Kailnim and brought her hand up in a fist to softly bop him on the head. "She's not and old bat and they aren't senseless." She snapped, though a smile played on her features. Her eyes turned back onto the glade and she sighed. "I just have a feeling we won't be able to spend time here like we used to, things are going to change soon." She said softly, her gaze seeming to be in a far off place.

Kailnim stared out at the glade trying to see what she saw, but it was just the same old glade to him. Nothing different, nothing changing. He shrugged and turned is eyes back to her. "If you say so."

A small green glowing fairy poked it's head out from underneath Saria's hair and glanced around. "Hey, where's Navi?" the fairy asked, his eyes searching about. Kailnim looked around and frowned. "I don't know, she was with me a few minutes ago." He said.

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"Great Deku Tree, I think his time is coming. He dreamt of that battle with the evil one last night. I believe his memories are starting to slowly make their way in." The small fairy said from her place on the great trees roots.

A soft sigh came from the tree, sounding like a breeze rustling through the leaves. "I believe it is time for him to begin his journey. I can feel that cloud of darkness growing larger over the lands. Did you know that young Saria came to see me yesterday? She says she feels as though things are about to change, drastically. I believe I named her well." He said with a soft chuckle.

Navi fluttered up from her spot and hovered in front of the great tree. "Shall I go and fetch him then?" She asked.

The great tree was quiet for a moment before speaking. "No, let the child have one more night to his friends and family. Bring him to me in the morning.."

Navi nodded her head and sprang off into the sky. "Oh Kailnim…" She whispered softly to herself.

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If anyone can figure out why his name is Kailnim, I'll give you a cookie.


	2. Farewell Friends

A/N: Enjoy the read, let me know what you think please.

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_The castle courtyard was littered with beautifully bright flowers. Water trickled along the side of the castle walls flowing down and away. To the back of the courtyard was a set of stairs leading up to a window where a small blonde hair, blue eyed girl stood. She peered into the window oblivious to the small blonde haired boy in green clothing who crept up behind her. Just as he laid his feet upon the steps the girl turned around and gasped. _

_"Who, who are you?" She asked, her eyes still wide in surprise. "How did you get past the guards?" _

_Around the boys small frame floated a little blue orb, a fairy. The blonde haired girl stared it with questions swimming in her soft eyes. _

_"Oh what's that? Is that…a fairy!?" She questioned with excitement. "Then, are you from the forest?"_

_The boy nodded his head as she watched the girl closely. Her features, first afraid and suspicious were now excited and joyful. _

_"I had a dream, in the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule. But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground…" She explained rather hurriedly, "The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy.."_

_She smiled brightly and lay her hands on top of one another at the front of her as she spoke. "Yes…I thought you might be the one…"_

_The girls face slowly turned a pink as her eyebrows bent forward. "Oh, I'm sorry. I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself!"_

_A bright and wide smile fell upon her face. She held her head up, her eyes sparkling. _

_"I am Z----"_

"Kailnim! Wake up you lazy boy!!" A voice screamed into his ear.

The teenage boy squirmed in his bed, rolling over and throwing the blanket over his head. Navi quickly moved out of the way and floated above him, her features bent into a scowl.

"The Great Deku Tree wants to see you Kailnim, get up!" She hollered, her face becoming red with frustration.

Kailnim grunted before pushing the blankets off of him and yawning. He sat up in his bed and rubbed at his eyes, the hair framing his face in total disarray.

"Why does he need to see me so early.." He mumbled as she stood up and began to change out of his night clothes and into his brown tunic and pants.

"Early?! It's nearly midday you silly child!" Navi snapped as she fluttered over to grab his boots and drag them to him. She set them down in front of his bed before landing upon his pillow to catch her breath a bit.

"Still why does he need to see me so bad? I haven't gotten into any trouble lately.." He said and tilted his head trying to remember if he had indeed gotten into any trouble.

Navi shook her head and heaved a sigh. She fluttered over to the table that held his comb, one he hardly used. She grabbed hold of it and carried it over, the weight very light, being as it was just hallowed bones of creatures that were hunted for food. She quickly ran the comb through his hair as he tied his boots. With a sigh she set the comb aside. His hair was still in a mess of spikes, but nothing else could be done in such a short amount of time.

"Hurry now, you've already kept him waiting long enough." She scolded him as she flew out the door.

Kailnim followed her racing through the village to the giant enclosure that was the Great Deku Tree's resting spot. He ran, his breathing heavy, Navi always a few steps ahead of him. It wasn't long before they reached The Great Deku tree. Kailnim stopped in front of the tree and held a hand to his chest trying to catch his breath.

"Ah Kailnim, I am glad you have decided to show up." The tree said, his voice powerful, but kind.

"Yea…sorry about that." Kailnim said and smiled weakly.

"I tried to get him up sooner, it's a lot harder than you think." Navi said as she pursed her lips.

The Great Deku tree chuckled, his laughter floating through the leaves of his great limbs. "It is alright, you are here now."

Navi floated over to Kailnim and seated herself on his shoulder. Her face looked worried, her eyebrows bent down. The boy stared up at the tree half expecting to get lectured for some deed he didn't remember doing.

"Kailnim…child, do you know the stories of past, of the great Hero, Link?" The tree asked.

"Of course, who hasn't? All the old ba--elders of the village tell those fairy tales all the time." He said with a frown.

The Great Deku Tree chuckled softly before speaking, "They are not just fairy tales, they are true. I have lived now for hundreds of years, but before me was my father. He was a great and mighty tree and would have lived well into and past your time, but he was cursed by an evil man." He began.

Kailnim stared up at the tree, listening intently. Although he scoffed the stories often, he always listened. He knew them all by heart, and often as a child would act them out.

"That evil man was Ganondorf. He lusted after the power of the Triforce, and demanded that my father give him one of the Spiritual Stones that was used then to unlock the doors to the Temple of Time. When my father refused, Ganondorf cursed him." His voice fell into a steady rhythm of a storyteller as she spoke, Kailnim hanging on each word.

"Link was but a small child then. He ventured inside of my father to defeat the source of the curse inside of him, but it was too late. Even after defeating the curse within, my father was too weak and so he lost his life. It was then that Link, a small confused child, set out on a journey to save Hyrule. He fought many battles and as the years passed, he grew stronger."

The Great Deku tree stopped for a moment and breathed deeply. His leaves rustled around him, but otherwise no sounds were heard. It was like the entire forest was silent, listening to the tale.

"On his journey Link was instructed to awaken the Seven Sages so that they may combine their powers to defeat Ganondorf. The Sage of Light, Sage of the Forest, Sage of Fire, Sage of Water, Sage of Shadow, Sage of Spirit, and finally the Sage of Wisdom. With the help of the seven sages he was able to defeat Ganondorf and free the land of Hyrule from darkness."

The Great Deku tree fell silent with the end of his tale. Navi stood up from Kailnim's shoulder and fluttered up into the air. She gazed at the tree before looking back down at Kailnim.

"Kailnim…these stories, aren't just fairy tales. They are real." She said her eyes heavy with unspoken words. "I know because, I was Link's fairy."

"You were…his fairy? But why didn't--" He began to say, but the Great Tree's voice cut him short.

"We did not come here to discuss why she didn't tell you about this, there is something much more important to discuss," He said with that powerful, gentle voice, "The reason I tell you this story is to better understand what I am about to ask you. There is a terrible danger looming over the lands of Hyrule, a dark shadow of great power."

"What does this have to do with me?" Kailnim snapped, becoming slightly agitated.

"I need you to embark on a journey. The Seven Sages from long past have been lying dormant for centuries and they must be awakened if we are to stand a chance against this evil power." The Great Deku Tree said.

"Me?! Why me! I'm not some great hero that can just go out and find these Sages. Where would I even begin to look?" He cried out, his eyebrows bent in frustration.

He felt overwhelmed already. Not just an hour ago he was normal, every day Kailnim, nothing special. Now, out of the blue, he was being sent out on some sort of journey? It didn't make sense.

"Calm down child. There is a girl that you must find, she is of the Sheikah people. They reside far to the north of here in the mountains in a village called Kakariko. Once long ago they were easy to find, for Hylians also lived in this village. However, as the years have gone by they have pulled back into seclusion. Find this woman and she can help you. She will know what to do next. I cannot help you anymore than that." The Great Tree said, and for a moment all was silent.

Kailnim stood with his head down staring at the ground, fists clenched. The Great Deku Tree was their protector, their guardian. To disobey his orders was like turning your back on someone who gave you life. A long heavy sigh left his chest before he raised his eyes to the tree.

"I don't understand why you are making me do this, but if it is what you want, and if it will help my people, I'll go. I just have to find these Sheikahs, right?" He asked his eyes raised to meet those of the tree.

"Indeed my young Kailnim. There is one in particular you must find. Please go to them and tell them what I have told you, they will help you from there." The Great Tree sighed out. As he finished speaking one of his limbs bent down towards Kailnim, hanging from it was a set of clothing as well as a shield and sword. "These belonged once to the great Hero of Time, Link. This sword is the Kokiri sword, forged by your ancestors, the shield is Hylian and very sturdy. The clothes, well the Great Hero was well known for his Green tunic. Where them with pride."

Kailnim studied the items before taking them from the tree. He set the shield and sword aside as he removed his clothing to replace them with the new ones. They fit perfectly. The green tunic rested against his chest, the chain mail beneath it felt light and sturdy. The white pants made his legs feel flexible and easy to move in. A brown belt wrapped around his waist, a satchel at his side with a few coins already in it. Thick brown leather boots covered his feet, just his size. He then picked up the sword. It wasn't extremely long, but it did feel balanced in his hand. He laid it in it's sheath and strapped the belt over his shoulder and across his chest.

He picked up the shield next, it was heavy in his hands. He stared at the designs on it. The Triforce lay in the middle, shining at him. He placed it to on his back, strapping it onto the belt that held his sword. The last thing to lay in his hands was a long green hat. He stared at it with a raised eyebrow before folding it up and placing it within the satchel. He didn't mind the clothes, but the hat was going too far.

"You look just like him…." Navi whispered to herself, her eyes nearly brimming with tears.

Kailnim raised his head and gazed at the fairy. "Navi, you say something?" He asked as he tilted his head.

"Uhm, no, nothing. We should probably get going." She said and fluttered up to hug the Great Tree. "Travel with hope and courage my child." The Great Deku Tree said.

Kailnim nodded his head to the tree before turning away and racing from the enclosed area where he sat, Navi right beside him.

The Great Tree sighed deeply as he watched the boy run from him. He was silent, lost in his thoughts.

"Be strong Kailnim. This journey shall not be easy, and you will soon discover things that I had wished would never need to be revealed."

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Kailnim walked slowly through the entrance to the bridge that would lead him out of the village. Away from his home, his friends, his family. He had ran from the Deku Tree to his home. His parents had been out, to his relief. He grabbed the stash of coins he'd kept hidden underneath his floorboard and was about to leave. He had stopped though and left them a note. He had scribbled it down quickly. It only told them that he was leaving for awhile to visit the Castle city and he would return before long.

It had been a lie, but he couldn't worry them with stories of going out on an adventure. It was easier to make them think he just wanted to travel to the Castle city for a few days.

He sighed and walked through the wooden tunnel to the bridge, his thoughts racing. Navi sat on his shoulder, her eyes staring at him, worry etched into her face.

"I knew you would leave…" A voice said softly.

Kailnim raised his eyes to find Saria standing in the center of the bridge, her eyes, so sad, staring at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked as his footsteps brought him to stand in front of her.

"I just knew you'd leave. I've been dreaming for awhile now about a lot of things, and then I dreamt that you would leave us. I could feel it in my heart that it wasn't just a dream, but true." She said sadly, her eyes falling to look down at the bridge.

"I'll come back you know, I won't be gone forever. It's just for a little while, I'll be back in a week, two weeks at the most." He said trying to reassure her.

Saria smiled weakly and shook her head. "Promise you won't forget me, Kailnim. Promise you won't forget all of the fun times we had together." She said softly.

"I won't forget you, I won't be gone long enough to." He said as his eyebrows bent in frustration.

"I don't know why Kailnim…but I felt it was only right that I give this to you. I feel as though I've done it before, in a dream perhaps…" She said softly.

She held out her hands to him, laying in them was her hand carved ocarina. It was brown, soft and smooth. The part where the mouth would lay was green, like leaves. He reached out his hand and took it from hers, his hand hovering over hers for a moment before pulling back.

"Please take care of it, let it always remind you that I'll be here waiting for you." She said and smiled a deep sad smile.

"I…I'll guard it with my life." He said with his own awkward smile.

"Goodbye Kailnim…" Saria said and moved forward, and stopping. She seemed unsure, a small line of blush crossing her face. She shook her head and stepped forward throwing her arms around him. She hugged him tightly before stepping back and then running past him back to the village.

Kailnim stood there, silent staring down at the Ocarina in his hands. His face burned a soft red. He glanced down at his tunic and frowned. There was a small wet spot on his chest. He was confused for a moment before realization stuck him.

Navi sat upon his shoulder still and stared back where the girl had run off. She kept silent as Kailnim moved forward toward the exit that would lead him into a strange new world. He walked slowly, one hand clutching the Ocarina, the other hand laid gently against his chest, against the spot where his only true friend had shed her tears.


End file.
